Timeline: Listening Through History

On Thursday, January 30, Kendal hosted a concert by the Newark-Granville Chamber Symphony. It was a first-time event for Kendal and only the second time that the chamber orchestra, newly-formed for the 2013-14 season, had performed. Well attended by residents and guests, the event provided yet more evidence that the opening of our new Amelia Gathering Room is allowing Kendal to offer an important venue for musical and theatrical groups from Granville, Newark, and Denison University.

The concert was titled "Timeline: Listening Through History." Its purpose was to introduce listeners to the changes in styles and tonal resources that composers experimented with over the most recent half-millennium of Western history. Timothy Weiss, Musical Director of the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra and Director of the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, conducted the performance, which consisted of eight rather brief pieces – often, actually, parts or movements of larger pieces. Opening with a canzone by Gabrieli, it included works by Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Webern, Stravinsky, and Lutoslawski, before concluding with a partita-pastorale by Stucky, drawing on motifs from J. S. Bach. (Timothy Weiss apologized for omitting Beethoven from the all-star roster!) At various points along the way Professor Arnie Cox of Oberlin College spoke to the audience about the music we were hearing, much of which, in the second half, was both unfamiliar and perhaps forbidding to many in attendance.

Arnie Cox asked us to consider why we felt as we did about music. As we puzzled over that question, he proposed that our response to music is somatic – that our body wants to imitate its melodic and and metric movements; physical feeling, in short, is an important aspect of hearing. Once we moved past Wagner, he suggested, we were hearing music that was unpredictable in tone choices and direction. We needed a longer exposure to begin to be able to grapple with its novelties. Newer music challenges us to pay less attention to comforting repetitions, whether melodic or structural, and more attention to the sheer sounds of the instruments and the skills of those who perform on them.

At the end of the concert Timothy Weiss, speaking for himself, told us that he needs both the old and the new – the Mozart and the Lutaslawski. He encouraged us by noting that we all live in a difficult time for listening. But the effort is worth it. "The sandbox," he smiled, "is infinitely large today." He even suggested – and painters might disagree – that music is more personal and invasive than art.

I have heard much talk about the concert in the past few days, some favorable and some unfavorable. Since I was known as a proponent of this experiment, hoping that the event could launch some sort of a partnership between Kendal and the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra, I can't pretend to have been exposed to all the comments. Those who got a kick out of the concert were delighted that we could finally bring a larger-scale professional musical organization to Kendal, intrigued by the encounter with new and perhaps uncomfortable sonorities, and pleased with the quality of the performances. Those who were disappointed focused on two aspects of the evening: the inaccessibility of some of the music and/or the time consumed by Professor Cox's commentary.

To me, the concert was a grand success. The musicians were very good, the program was challenging and fun, and the Amelia Gathering Room passed its first acoustical test. And whatever one's views, it certainly seems to have triggered some wide-ranging discussion about the nature of our engagement with music, which is, after all, one of the purposes of good art.

The Blooming of Cultural Opportunities at Kendal

We all knew that the opening of the Amelia Gathering Room would create exciting and new opportunities for the residents of Kendal at Granville. Some of these events have begun to occur, and I've mentioned them in earlier postings - visits from local choirs, lectures by people of interest, a resident talent show. But the schedule of happenings is growing apace, and the reach and vitality of our cultural calendar is steadily widening. The evidence for that claim lies in two coming ventures that I'm pleased to announce.

First off, on Thursday, January 30, Kendal will host a concert by the Newark-Granville Symphony's newly-minted Chamber Orchestra. This will be the first large-scale professional musical organization to perform at Kendal, and its appearance is still another dividend from our decision to include the construction of a performance venue in our Phase II expansion plans. The concert will be, in effect, a guided tour of western music from the 16th to the 20th century, with visits from both familiar and less-familiar composers. Both Kendal and the NGSO expect that this concert will mark the launching of a long and happy cooperation between the two organizations.

But that's not all. The technology that supports the activities of the Amelia Gathering Room now allows Kendal to participate in large-scale interactive telecommunicating. As a consequence, Kendal will be partnering with the Distance Learning project of the Cleveland Museum of Art to bring classes in art history to Kendal. In these sessions, to be held in the Amelia Room, docents at the museum will use representative art works from the museum's distinguished collection to offer classes on such subjects as Impressionism, Renaissance Art, and Twentieth-Century American Art. These programs will be beamed exclusively to an audience at Kendal. And the nifty part of the linkage is that participants at each site will be able to see each other and to engage each other in real time question-and-answer exchanges. The dates for these classes are yet to be fixed. But we hope to get them started in March. And as with the NGSO project, everyone involved contemplates future interactive programing to occur between the museum and Kendal.

In future postings I'll be reporting on the success of these two ventures. For right now they represent our first steps into the wider arena of cultural access that digitization makes possible. Among people I am talking with here at Kendal, there is a palpable surge in expectations. The Phase II construction project is allowing us to enter a new phase in our engagement with the cultural world and to widen still further our redefinition of retirement in America.

My A-tearm

Before I moved to Kendal at Granville in July 2005 I lived in a western suburb of Philadelphia in a ranch style home situated on a three-quarter acre lot.  After the death of my husband in 1995, I had the sole responsibility of maintaining my home.   Depending on the season I had to see that the grass was mowed, the leaves raked, the many trees trimmed, the garden watered and weeded, the trash removed, and the driveway (long enough to accommodate eight cars) cleared of snow/.  If there was a problem with the plumbing it was up to me to either fix it or find a plumber.  If a light burned out, I had to replace it.  In other words I was the maintenance department.  And I was getting older and my arthritis was getting worse.

Is it any wonder that after moving to Kendal at Granville and discovering the joy of having at my disposal a maintenance department that took care of all of my needs in that area that I began to fall in love with each and every one of those persons who made my life so much easier?  These are just a few of the things they did to win my heart:  replaced my washer-dryer combo with controls too high for me to see with one with dials I  could see; figured out h9w to put a light in the unlit closet where  my washer-dryer is located so I could see the dials when my eyesight failed me; removed the door from my den to provide better access to my files when I reconfigured the den to accommodate my new video magnifier; added  caulking to the area around the patio  door and window  when the recent polar express revealed leaks of icy cold air chilling my living room, etc.

Of course they also handle all of the snow removal from our sidewalks and roadways, replace light bulbs in high places - as well as all of the routine sort of stuff like moving furniture in the community complex for special events, helping with the community Christmas decorating, maintaining the pool, etc.   They do it all with a smile even when it involves working all night to get the snow removed and salt spread.  I have yet to hear a complaint about having to crawl in and out of or over and under all sorts of odd places.

They are my A-team and a blessing for all of us who live here at Kendal.  They certainly are one of the reasons I give thanks that I moved here almost nine years ago.

 

 

 

 

Tis the Month Before Christmas

Tis the month before Christmas and all through our community things are astir.  It began on the evening before Thanksgiving with our lighting the menorah for the first day of Hanukkah.  This year the fact that it coincided with Thanksgiving resulted in the presence of the Jewish grandchildren of one of our residents being present to lead us in the blessings and prayers. 

 

Thanksgiving Day found lots of visitors present for our Thanksgiving feast.  We are blessed with a dining staff that goes to great lengths to make this a special day for us.  Tables are set up to accommodate family groups who come to share the meal with resident family members.  This saves time and confusion when the group exceeds the size of our usual table setups.   The menu includes special treats beginning with things like lobster bisque, shrimp cocktail, and continuing through turkey with all the trimmings, ham, and ending with desserts sicj as warm cherry cobbler and bread pudding with caramel sauce..  For the past several years my son, his wife and their two teen age boys, now 18 and 22, have joined me here.  The boys love being here for our holidays such as this and Easter and Labor Day. 

 

As we move on our maintenance staff bring out the holiday decorations from their assorted storage spots and together staff and residents decorate our community.  We are lucky that the staff takes on the job of putting up outside lights and bows saving us the difficulties associated with the cold weather and reaching high places.

 

Additional blessings have come to us as outside groups such like the children of Centenary Methodist church who brought us the delight of their Christmas pageant.  For me this was a real treat because it has been a number of years since I have been able to be at one of these.  Along with the children cametheir energy and enthusiasm.  It was delightful to see them skipping and running about as they prepared for the presentation.

 

Another blessing was the visit of the Granville School Chamber Singers who presented a beautiful a cappella choral collection of seasonal music.  Following their formal concert in our Amelia Gathering Room they walked through the halls singing as they went thus taking their music to residents unable to attend.

 

We were also privileged once again to a program presented by residents and staff members.  The Kendaliers directed by Teddy Westlake sang both serious and fun numbers including one about a hippopotamus and a couple about pies - namely pumpkin and cherry.  They invited us to sing-a-long with them fpr several holiday songs.  Seatee by a fireplace on stage Ginny Fletcher read  the well known Twas the Night Before Christmas to the children of staff members.  Kelly Corder played a beautiful violin accompaniment to Silent Night and Away in the Manger as the Kendaliers and audience hummed. On our way out of the Amelia Room we had our choice of pumpkin or cherry pie to top off the evening.

 

On the thirteenth we gathered for what has become our traditional holiday potluck.  On this occasion the dining staff provides the main entrees, shrimp cocktails, and some sides while residents and staff members outdo each other by bringing mouth wateringm delicious appetizers, salads, salads, sides and sinfully delicious deserts.  That event ends with a presentation of tokens of appreciation given to staff members by residents who have contributed to the staff appreciation fund since tips are not allowed.

 

Another thing that staff and residents collaborate on is contributing to the Licking County program Families Helping Families.  This too is a tradition.

 

These highlights of the activities of this season illustrate what makes Kendal  such a special place to live during  the holiday season.   The biggest blessing of all is that this sort of thing isn’t limited to the holidays  but goes on the year round

Observing International Day

Several years ago our Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee added to our annual observance of International Day a program emphasis on our heritage from a particular country or culture.  Our committee, made up of both residents and staff, plans this event each year for residents, staff, and board members.

 The first year we did this our Polish heritage was presented by Tony Liska, a retired professor from Denison University whose family came to the United States from Poland.  The following year our presentation focused on our Welsh heritage because the first settlers in this area were from Wales.  This year our Committee chose to feature Scotland. Luckily we discovered that the chief of our maintenance staff, Bob Doherty, spent his boyhood in Scotland.

We were most fortunate that Bob not only agreed to make a presentation but joined our committee to help with the overall planning of this event.  The program on Friday, October Fourth turned out to be a huge success opening with a presentation by a genuine Scottish bagpiper dressed in full regalia.  He not only played but he explained the history of the   bagpipes, how they were made, how they worked, the meaning of each of the numbers he played and each piece of the outfit he wore.  Bob presented us with beautiful pictures of Scotland as he talked about Scottish history and people mixed in with memories of his youthful days living there. 

 Following Bob's presentation we had the opportunity to enjoy the refreshments provided by our dining staff which included Scottish eggs, shortbread, salmon and other delicacies.

Just one more example of life at Kendal exemplifying the way staff and residents join together to make possible an enjoyable and educational  afternoon in our celebration of International Day.

 

Originally published 10/14/13

 

A Season of Thanksgiving

This week when we celebrate Thanksgiving and also Hanukkah we are reminded to take time and give thanks for our many blessings and the miracles that we experience in our lives.  For me one of my biggest blessings is that I moved to Kendal eight years ago when I was still able to be quite independent.  I was able to easily become settled in the life that Kendal makes possible.  It was an easy move as I look back in in retrospect.  Oh yes, there were all of the trials and tribulations that go with moving from my home back in the Philadelphia area -  the downsizing and packing and unpacking.  But they have faded from memory as I found a pleasant new way of way of life and made many new friends here at Kendal.  .

I'm thankful that I no longer have to plan meals, buy the ingredients, bring them home, put them away, prepare them and then clean up all of the kitchen when I have eaten.  I am grateful for good company at mealtime instead of eating alone.  I am thankful that I no longer have to worry about snow removal when it snows.  I don't have to make sure the garden is weeded, the lawn mowed, the leaves raked, and make sure the eaves are cleaned out.  I am grateful that there are many educational and entertaining programs right here at Kendal in the evening which I can attend without having to find someone to take me since I no longer drive at night..  The list of blessings is endless.

Most important now for me is the fact that I entered Kendal while I was able to get to know all of the many services that exist here to make our life comfortable and meaningful.  I believe that it has made the adjustments that I have had to make due to the changes in my life that have occurred since I arrived here.  No doubt the most significant of these is the changes in my eyesight this past year.  I have reached the point where I am considered a person with low vision.  I can no longer read without a special device to enlarge the print.  I no longer recognize people until I am very close to them.  But because I came here while I could, the adjustments that I am finding necessary are much easier and for that I am most grateful.

Kendal and the Kids

Kendal is full of teachers. And for the third straight year some of our residents have spent time this fall with second-grade students in the Newark school system in a program (“A Call to College”) designed to put the possibility of attending college in their minds. 

The intrepid Kendal classroom posse, styled “Guest Interviewees” by the program, consisted of Ted Barclay, Reed Browning, Janie Drake, Tom and Myra Gallant, Virgil Hoftiezer, David Skeen, and Harriett Stone. Each – with the Gallants operating as a spousal team – spent a morning at the Newark Public Library talking with the kids (a different group of 40-60 each week) about the way that college had made their interesting lives possible.

The Guest Interviewees took turns with their adult versions of show-and-tell. Some sported odd hats and unusual attire. Others brandished unexpected items – a baseball bat, or a foreign flag, or a nineteenth-century lamp. They all had stories of adventures to tell. In short, the Kendal squad was living testimony to the importance of books, libraries, and education. (The photo shows Myra and Tom Gallant.)

The kids seemed to love it. For many, it was their first visit to the library. They had been prepped for these encounters with rehearsed questions – where did you go to college? what do you like to read? what are your hobbies? - but being kids, they also popped out with loads of extemporaneous interrogatories. How did you get here? (i.e., to the library). How old are you? Have you ever met someone famous?

Several residents returned to Kendal to report that, while they’d enjoyed their chance to meet the kids, they were uncertain about the long-term benefit of such brief interactions. And even knowing that this second-grade program is but part of a wider Newark program of K-12 college-focused interventions doesn’t eliminate that concern. Still, the important point is that since the directors of the program are annually charting its successes, measuring its effects, and working to find appropriate adjustments, Kendal residents can be assured that their participation allows this experiment in inspiring ambitions for college to refine itself with each passing year.

Besides, it gives us memorable anecdotes. My favorite came from Ted Barclay’s visit. He told the kids about a number of sports he had coached, including lacrosse. Sensing some puzzlement among he second-graders, he asked them if they knew what lacrosse was. An eight-year-old girl replied: “That’s what they nailed Jesus to.” How do you top that?

(This piece will also appear in the December issue of Tower Lines.)